1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching element.
2. Description of Related Art
As devices are reduced in size and densities are enhanced, it is now required to further miniaturize electric element. As one example, there is known a switching element capable of carrying out a switching operation by applying voltage between two electrodes (interelectrode nanogap) which are separated from each other by a fine gap.
More specifically, there is developed a switching element which is made of silicon oxide and gold, which are stable materials, by a simple producing method called shadow evaporation (inclined deposition). According to this switching element, switching operation can stably be repeated (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-79335 for example).
In addition to the silicon oxide, an element using silicon nitride instead of silicon oxide is known. More specifically, there are MEMS (Micro Electron Mechanical Systems) element (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-306208 for example) using a silicon nitride film as an insulating film, and a molecular element (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-234799 for example) using a silicon nitride layer as an insulating layer. In these elements, the silicon nitride functions only as an insulator.
In the switching element of a patent document 1, it is required to further reduce operating voltage.